Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle

The Little Bighorn Reexamined

The myth of Custer's last stand at the Battle of the Little Big Horn is shattered by Richard Allan Fox, Jr., who demonstrates that the troopers' end came amid terror and disarray, with no determined fighting and little firearm resistance. Using innovative and standard archaeological analyses of bullets, spent cartridges, and other material data, combined with numerous Indian eyewitness accounts and additional primary sources, Fox vividly replays this battle in astonishing detail, identifying combat positions and tracking solders and Indians across the battlefield.

This important work documents the archaeological examination of the Custer battlefield made during 1984 and 1985. A 1983 brushfire burned off the vegetation and allowed close examination for the first time. This was originally a Ph.D. dissertation so it can be a little dry at times. If you would rather "see the movie," then check out the companion video tape.